Wangxian - The Road Not Taken

14. Drifting

----Previously.....

I was punished with branding from Lan and Jin Sect on the side of my neck. Banished from this cultivation world. My belongings were thrown at me like garbage to take away from their pristine home. I looked at Lan Zhan a last time before leaving...

---

Just as I stepped outside of the hall, a voice called out effectively halting my departure. But I didn't turn back. I waited there, amidst all those people who wanted to torture me into centuries to come.

"One more thing, before you never show your disgraceful self in our presence again" The voice rang loud and clear. After a pause I heard footsteps coming closer till they stopped just behind me.

"Turn". He said. His voice colder than I ever heard it.

I could feel my heart thudding as I turned around to face the one person who had held me lovingly just a few months ago before this all went downhill. Now there was no emotion to be seen even in his eyes.

He stepped forward and reached out to take a lock of my matted hair in hand. I closed my eyes remembering all those times that he had done it before that it had become almost an habit. Even though our time together was so short especially after we both realised our feelings, it feels like we have much more in terms of memories. Before I had time to let it even sink, In a swift motion he unsheathed his sword and chopped the lock that he held.

"..."

Everything slowed down and I looked into his eyes as the horror of his actions dawns on me. Why Lan Zhan?. Are we really that far gone now?

Any last sheds of hope that had remained in my heart shattered at that moment.

Someone yelled, "Leave now! What are you still here for?".

I jolted back to reality. I realized I am too close to fainting. But I can't show any weakness in front of them, especially him.

Oh God!!

I turned and staggeringly left this cruel world after the final humiliation.

As soon as I leave the boundaries I allow myself to relax a bit. As the remaining adrenaline and energy leave my already spent body I feel the bile and blood rise up my throat. After several minutes of emptying my innards on the forest floor I slump down under a tree to rest. To take a moment to myself to let it all sink in.

I don't know what I will be doing next or even where I will head to. Any place cultivation related is out. Well I figure I can think about it later.

Turns out I never actually did think about it later. I just sort of went with the flow or rather where my feet took me.

After everything that has happened I feel skittish around other people and I want to stay far far away from any human that has the ability to add their own dent in the broken old me.

So I decided I will stay on  the path of forest and will venture into any nearby villages only in case of need that I can't procrastinate any further.

The days melded into another and I felt like I was losing my grip on reality on sanity on health. I was slowly giving up.

It was a blessing or maybe a curse that soon I met the person I really didn't expect to meet in rest of my existence.

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A/N:

To explain why Wei ying felt so shattered at Lan Zhan's actions, it is believed that long hair was a sign of filial piety and virility. And you have to take parent's permission to do anything to the body. Now its okay if a child does it as most likely the parent would have been there and allowed. But later in life it just raises unwanted questions. So cutting hair could be an offense in Chinese Culture, as people believed that your body are all the gifts from your parents, damaging your body equals to insulting your parents, which is unfilial. Cutting of hair can be seen as a punishment or humiliation.

Now this is what I found out. If you have any different info, please feel free to let me know.

See ya in the next one!